Medicine cabinet



June 12, 1951 J, ROQNEY 2,557,037

MEDICINE CABINET Filed May 29, 1947 INVENTOR. fam/es J E diiorngy Patented June 12, 1951 MEDICINE CABINET J aines J. Rooney, Cluster, N. J., assignor of onethird to Isak Katz, New York, N. Y.

Application May 29, 1947, Serial No. 751,217

This invention relates to medicine cabinets or other receptacles of the kind generally provided with a hinged mirror-carryin door, and the object of the invention is to provide means by which the use of the mirror may be greatly facilitated. This application is a continuation in part of my co-pending application Serial No. 594,425, filed May 18, 1945, now abandoned.

Most medicine cabinets and other containers of this general nature, and especially those employed for storingtoiletries, are either mounted in or on the wall overv a wash-stand. These cabinets are provided with a hinged door largely or wholly composed of a mirror for use while a person stands at the wash-stand and i engaged in shaving, applying cosmetics or the like. The projection of the wash-stand, and particularly when it is of the relatively large modern type, is such that it locates the user at a substantial distance from the mirror so that the close-up view required forshaving, and particularly when using an electric razor, or for the accurate application of lipstick or other cosmetics, is not possible unless the person bends forward into an uncomfortable position. In using a mirror of this kind, the user very often attempts to aid his view by swinging the door open to an extent required to enable him 'to more clearly observe his image, and this often results in a poor view being obtained due to the fact that the change in position of the mirror relative to the source of illumination of the same serves to locate the image in shadow or else positions it so that it does notreceive the light to the best advantage. 3

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a mirror-carrying closure or door for medicine cabinets or similar containers, which shall resemble in appearance and operation, the conventional'hinged door used on these cabinets, but which will be provided with means by which the door, or at least the mirror portion of it, may be bodily moved forwardly and away from the cabinet toward the user and angularly positioned to an extent desired to enable the image in the mirror to be viewed close-up and to best advantage while shavingapplying cosmetics or the like.

The invention also contemplates a structure in which illuminating means may be carried by the door to be thereby always disposed in the most convenient location in respect to the mirror despite the fact that the door may be shifted to various positions according to the wishes of the individual users. 7

Another object of the invention is to provide means by which the mirrored door for the cabinet and .the supporting frame to which it a is hinged, will be connected together during normal use of the cabinet, so that said door and its supporting frame may be swung unitarily to or from 1 Claim. (Cl. 312227) the cabinet, the means for connecting the door and framehowever, permittin an independent swing of the door when desired, to enable the door to be shifted to a position most convenient to the user.

In the accompanying drawing, wherein an illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown, Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a medicine cabinet or other container constructed in' accordance with the invention; Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same, showing the door in an open position and swung on its supporting frame to thereby position it forwardly of the body of the cabinet; Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view through the body of the cabinet, showing the door in open position and held fiatwisely against its supporting frame; Fig. 4 shows one of the hinges for the door, as well as one of the spring clips for holding the supportin frame against the back of the door, and Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4, looking in the direction of the arrows.

With reference to the drawing, l indicates the body of the cabinet which may be of conventional shape and size and is preferably, but not necessarily, constructed of sheet metal. It is adapted for mounting either in or upon the wall, usually over a wash-stand or at any other convenient location. The inside of the cabinet may be fitted with a number of shelves in the usual way, and the cabinet has an open front, adapted to be normally closed by a hinged or swinging door 4. The outer face of the door is composed in whole or in part of a mirror 5. Secured to the back of the door, adjacent to the edge 6 of the door, is a pair of spaced hinges 1. One of the leaves of each hinge is fixedly secured to the back of the door as by being welded thereto, and the other leaf of each hinge is attached to the arms 8 and 9 of an X-shaped frame I!) which extends across the back of the door for the greater portion of the width of the door.

The frame ill includes an arm 8a, forminga continuation of the arm 8, and said arm 8a is attached at l 0 to an angular leaf l l of a hinge l2, the second leaf of said hinge being attached to the side l3 of the body of the cabinet I. Similarly, the frame It includes an arm 9a which is attached at I 4 to the angular leaf l5 of hinge 16, similar tov hinge i2 and attached to the side l3 of the cabinet. It will thus be noted that through the arrangement described, an X-shaped frame is provided which supports the door 4, said frame being hinged at one of its edges to a side wall of the cabinet, and hinged at its other edge to the back of the door adjacent to an edge-of the door which is located remotely from the-edge of the cabinet where the frame-attaching hinges are situated or in other words, is the forward edge of the door. This arrangement is such that in normal use the cabinet presents the aspect of a conventional medicine cabinet and when it is desired to open the door to gain access to the contents of the cabinet, the door is swung on the hinges l2 and I6 and the door 4 and the frame IE] will open together or as a unit. To hold the door 4 and the frame 10 togethe to enable them to swing open as a unit while the frame I is maintained flatwisely against the back of the door, means are provided for holding frame in that position until sufiicient force is employed to pull the door away from the frame and cause the frame to be thus pulled past the clips 20.

When the mirror 5 in the door 4 is to be used for shaving or for the application of cosmetics, and it is desired to bring the mirror close to the face, the door is pulled forwardly to an extent desired. When this is done, the frame will swing forwardly on the hinges l2 and l 6, andthe door will be disengaged from the frame 10 by having the clips pulled passed the arms 8a and 9a of the frame to enable the door to swing relatively to the frame ID on the hinges I, thus positioning the door 4 and the mirror 5 carried by it, close to the user. The mounting of the door 4 on the hinges 1 also enables the door and its mirror to be angularly positioned to any extent desired to best place the mirror in the most suitable location. In Fig. 2, the manner in which the door may be shifted bodily toward the user and positioned substantially parallel to the front of the cabinet, but at a substantial distance therefrom is clearly shown, and the advantages of being able to bring the mirror close to the user in this manner will be apparent.

In view of the mobility of the door in the manner described, it may be found desirable to provide a light above the mirror, and this can be readily done if means conveying the cord or electric wiring to such a light is provided. In the event that it is desired to provide a light above the mirror as above explained, electric wiring for supplying current to the light may be readily conveyed to the light by making one of the arms of the X-shaped supporting frame l0 hollow to thereby serve as a conduit for the wiring. This is indicated in Fig. 3, wherein the wiring 2! is shown in dotted lines and is indicated as entering the cabinet through the grommet 22 to extend up through the interior of the arms 80 and 8 of the frame I0, to emerge at the top of the frame to pass through the opening 23 in the door and be connected in the conventional manner to a lamp socket secured to the front of the door at the top of the mirror. This arrangement of the wiring is such as to permit free swing of the door in the manner described without damage to the wiring.

The door can be provided with one or more knobs to facilitate its opening or manipulation, if desired, and it is also provided with the catch indicated at 24, of conventional form.

The provision of a strong X-shaped frame for supporting the door in the numerous positions in which it may be located according to the desires of the user, is an important feature of the invention since the maintenance of the door against sag at all times is desirable, any my experiments have shown that a light and strong X-shaped frame for this purpose is far superior to straight arms or brackets swung outwardly from the cabinet body. Since a frame as above described may, because of its shape and formation, be made relatively light, flat and compact, it can be held fiatwisely against the back of the door by the spring clips 20 and is thus unobtrusive and occupies no material space inside of the cabinet. In fact, the cabinet at all times presents the aspect of a conventional medicine cabinet, the frame 10 being unnoticeable and not apparent to a material extent either while the cabinet is open or closed. On the other hand, when the advantage of being able to position the mirror close to the user and at any selected angle becomes apparent, a pull on the right end of th mirror, as viewed in Fig. 1, at once frees the clips 20 from their engagement with the frame 10, and the mirror can be swung forwardly and angularly positioned to secure the most effective viewing results.

While I have described an embodiment of the invention, it is obvious that the same is not to be restricted thereto, but is broad enough to cover all structures coming within the scope of the annexed claim.

What I claim is:

A cabinet of the character described, comprising, a body, a mirrored door, a door-supporting member interposed between the door and the body, said supporting member being in the form of a rigid X-shaped frame, one leg of which is of tubular ,material. said member being hinged to the backof the .door closely adjacent to the forward free edge of said door, the opposite end of said member being hinged to an edge portion of the cabinet body remote from the free edge of the door, said frame extending across the open front of the body, whereby .said member can be swung outwardly from the cabinet body .on the hingeswhich secure it thereto, and the door can be swung outwardly from vsaid member to an angular position upon the hinges which secure said member to the door, spring clips in the form of curled-up springs secured on the backof the door in position to engage the legs of the X- shaped member and hold the same flatlybut releasably against the back of the door, and flexible wiring extending through the tubular leg of the X-shaped member from the cabinet body to the front of the door.

JAMES J. RODNEY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Carwardine Apr. 6, 

